Respiration mask with air heater means



March 12, 1957 cs. 0. PITZIPIO 2,734,714

I ,RESPIRATION MASK WITH AIR HEATER MEANS Filed Oct. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l PIC-3.2

INVENTOR.

March 12, 1957 G. o. PlTZlPIO 2,734,714

RESPIRATION MASK WITH AIR HEATER MEANS Filed Oct. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

wgof mw 2,784,714 RESiIRATION MASK WITH AIR HEATER MEANS George 0. Pitzipio, New York, N. Y.

Application October 12, 1954, Serial No. 461,735

6 Claims. (Cl. 128--146) This invention relates in general to air treatment devices, and more particularly to the treatment of breathing air for human consumption when that air is obtainable at low temperatures.

One of the objects of this invention lies in the attainment through the interaction of various components of an aid to survival in cold climates by an abatement of the severities impose-d on the respiratory system of the wearer and the diminution of the body heat losses when required to heat the incoming air to be breathed.

Another object is to supply an apparatus which by slight modification and the addition of various gases to the air to be breathed may be found beneficial to crews when operating airplanes at high altitudes and the exigencies of bailing-out therefrom.

Still a further object of my invention is to produce such a group of interacting components that should some of these components malfunction, the most important, namely the heat exchanger due to its highly ellicient design, will still be operable and still give some measure of the benefits derived as when all components were in full operation. There are medical and surgical instances where this apparatus can be used to advantage and that while I shall have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a face mask in position and partly cut away for the better understanding of the description.

Fig. 2 shows side view of heat exchanger partly cut away and also in sections.

Fig. 3 shows a fragmentary view of forward transfer disc.

Fig. 4- shows a fragmentary view of rear transfer disc.

Fig. 5 shows rear view of air pump.

Fig. 6 shows side view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a schematic drawing showing heat exchanger, heat generator, fuel vaporizer or tank, and air or gas pump.

in Fig. 1, i represents a flexible supporting covering carrying heat exchanger 2, 3 a positioning cushion, 4 a hand wheel for operating de-icing device, 57 bracket for carrying heat generator. Fig. 2 represents heat exchanger partly in section in which 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are concentric shells whose exteriors and interiors take the form of helical gears, fitting one inside the other and held in place by supporting header discs 18 and 19, thereby forming spiral air spaces between shells. Cylindrical portion of shells as 12 are of importance in forming air-collecting space before transferring air to another helical air passage, and also in assembling. These helical air spaces can take other forms as when the helical contour is replaced by parallel undulations both inside and on the outside surfaces of the shells, giving a straight through header to header passage for air, but without helical travel before change of direction. The limitanited States Patent O 2,784,714 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 "ice tions covering the size and placement of shells with respect to adjoining ones to be governed as in the case where helical spiral contours are employed. Air entering 21 through 20 is transferred by header disc 22 with direction changed into air passage 23 and again transferred by header disc 24 to air pass-age 25 again with direction changed, from which it is drawn by the user through circumferential flap valve 26, the air having just taken a helical course above and below the center line of the structure. Same method of travel is followed by the outgoing fair which enters at 29, is transferred by discs 22 and 24, directions being changed and leaves by circumferential flap valve 30. It will be seen that the incoming and outgoing air makes three trips the length of the heat exchanger with three reversals of directionth'rough concentric tubes which impart a helical motion to the air. The sides of the tubes in the case of incoming air, with one exception, that is, the outer side of the outer air passage are in contact with advantageously higher temperatures, and in very thin sections due to the limiting features hereinafter set forth in claim 1. 36 is a tube in the form of a worm carrying heated air or gas from an outside source and placed in helical air passage 37, iii a revolvable sleeve within shell 38, 4 a wheel used to revolve lit, in such a manner as to free holes in 10 and holes with which these holes register should ice accumulate, ice falls into cylindrical shell 38 and can be blown out through hole 41 when 41 is made to register with holes in 19 and 24 by turning 10. In Fig. 3 transfer port 43 in disc 24 transfers air from helical air space 23 to helical air space 25, air in helical air space 16 is blanked out of 43 by a suitable blanking web in 19 within the area of 43. Other transfer ports in 22 Fig. 4 are handled in same manner, namely, where the air passages that have an intervening passage between them, that passage is blanked off by a suitable blank within the area of the transfer port, said blank being a part of the supporting header discs 18 and 19 respectively. In Fig. 3 ports 21 and 25 where no transfer takes place, no blanking is required. It will be observed that the incoming air from the time it enters at 20 (both above and below the center line of the structure) is in such motion due to the configuration of the spiral air passages that there is no opportunity for stratification,

a most useful and unusual occurrence in heat exchangers. Figs. 5 and 6 represent an air pump in which the body or basin 46 has one side enclosed by a flexible diaphragm 47 which is partly reinforced by a non-flexible plate 48 actuated in one direction by compression springs 49. Diaphragm 47 is in tension and fitted over rounded sides of basin 46. 5t] and 51 represent inlet and outlet valves to the interior of pump 52. Pump operates by the movement imparted to diaphragm 47 when the entire pump structure is placed and held in a favorable position on the wearers lower chest or mid-section to allow the operation of breathing to alternately compress the diaphragm which is returned to place by the compression springs 49. The function of the air pump 52 is to draw or force air previously heated in 53, Fig. 7, through worm 36 in 37, Fig. 2. The method employed in this heater 53, although the applicant does not wish to be bound thereto, as other heaters can be advised to accomplish same results, is to draw air through mixing tank 54, Fig. 7, which contains alcohol obtaining a gaseous mixture that, when it is drawn through 55, Fig. 7, through a platinum sponge in 53, a heating glow of the sponge will be obtained which can be so proportioned that it will furnish a heated gas of the desired temperature that, when drawn through 56 into the worth 36, the incoming air in passage 37 will be of such temperature that when to it is added a further increase in tern perature by means of a complete travel through heat exchanger a final acceptably heated air for breathing is obtained. Heater 53, Fig. 7, can be designed to contain alcohol and vaporizer, and be carried in bracket 57,, Fig. 1, .if desired. The term external heat is intended to represent heat other than that contained in the exhaled breath. Separate tank '54 in schematic Fig. 7 .is for ease of description.

To particularly point out and claim the part, improve ment or combination which I claim :as my invention, I include the following:

Iclaim:

1. A respiration mask or hood comprising a heat exchanger containing a plurality of concentric metal shells, the outerand inner surfaces of which form helical screws sopro ortioned that the exterior teeth of one shell extend into the spaces between the teeth of the interior helical screw of the next larger concentric shell in such a manner that the tip circle of the outer helix of the smaller diameter shell .intrudes beyond the root circle of the helix of the outer teeth on thenext larger shell forming helical air pas-sages between adjacent shells.

2. A respiration mask or hood comprising a heat exchanger containing a plurality of concentric metal shells, the outer and inner surfaces of which form helical screws so proportioned that the exterior teeth of one shell extend into the spaces between the teeth of the interior helical screw of the next larger concentric shell in such a manner that the tip circle of the outer helix of the smaller diameter shell intrudes beyond the root circle of the helix of the outer teeth on the next larger shell forming helical air passages between adjacent shells. Air transfer return headers and supporting discs at both ends of said concentric shells to so conduct and direct air being exhaled that its available heat can be used to raise the temperature of incoming air during respiration, and suitably disposed inlet and outlet valves.

3. A respiration mask with air heater means for raising temperature of incoming air comprising main and auxiliary heat exchangers, the main heat exchanger being within the mask and having partition means whereby the exhaled air flows on one side of the partitions and the inhaled air on the other, the temperature of inhaled air being raised, the auxiliary heat exchanger comprising a means within the mask and adjacent to the main heat exchanger and adapted to convey heated gases from a heating means to within mask but not allowing them to contaminate air to be breathed.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 including means connected to a pump and the auxiliary heat exchanger for inducing heated gases to flow-through the auxiliary heat exchanger by action of the pump operated by the motion of the wearers body during the process of breathing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 including a means within the mask for \mechanically removing frozen condensate, comprising a pairofplates with holes along their lengths and one movable with respect to the other whereby frozen material trapped in the holes may be dislodged by movement of one of theplates.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including the plates being concentric cylinders whereby rotation of one with respect to the other will dislodge material within the holes.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 603,021 Dight Apr. 26, 1898 2,473,518 Garrard et al June 21, 1949 2,610,038 Phillips Sept. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,273 Great Britain of 1848 17,132 Great Britain of 1910 137,902 Great Britain Ian. 29 1920 

